Bible Singing

Ryan teaching Lucas all about the Bible and Jesus.

Stitch Fix Review #9

I didn't actually intend to receive Stitch Fix #9. I was already pregnant during my last fix, so I decided to skip this one (as well as the next 12 months or so) since Stitch Fix does not offer maternity clothes. However, when I went online to cancel my fix it was too late! My stylist was already working on selecting my items. So I updated my profile to note that I was 12 weeks pregnant and needed loose tops or perhaps a flowy summer dress. I was really hopeful I would find something cute to wear throughout the summer.

 

Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by this fix. I can't completely blame Stitch Fix, since they do not offer maternity clothes. But they do offer to style pregnant women, and I was hopeful they would be able to find me something cute. I had a new stylist this month, and that may have been part of the problem. I felt like she kind of gave up and didn't put a lot of thought into choosing my items. Here is her note to me:

 

"Hi Stephanie! Welcome back and congrats on your pregnancy!! I didn't have any loose dresses or skirts available this time around that would work, so this Fix is all tops! I found a green dolman top by Pomelo that I hope you love! I read over the notes in your past Fixes and saw the request to send more green...I was so happy to find this top for you! The Olive and Oak tie dye tank is one of my favorites - so comfy, loose and stylish. I normally wouldn't put two open front cardigans in a Fix, but since you are pregnant, I was running out of loose tops that fit what you're looking for. I hope you like all of these and are able to wear them through pregnancy. Can't wait to hear what you think! Enjoy! Tracy"

  

I apologize for not taking photos of myself in the clothes this month. I received my box of clothes right before a busy weekend and didn't get a spare minute to do any modeling. I'm not sure you would have wanted to see me in them anyways!

 

Pomelo Adelyn Chevron Print Hooded Cardigan 

Although I love the chevron print, it is a bit too much on an item this large. I like the drapey cardigan look, but this one was so long in the front and so short in the back that it looked a bit strange to me. It was incredibly soft, though, and I could see it being comfy to wear after giving birth. Ultimately the weird cut/style made me send it back.

 

Pomelo Avah Chevron Print Dolman Sleeve Top

This was my favorite item in the box. I love the color and the chevron print. But I was so sad to discover that it was tight in the hips and waist! Dolman style tops are usually very forgiving in the tummy area and flattering to the body. This one was cut much too narrow. I feel like the stylist should have noticed this just by looking at it, and gone up a size for me. I even emailed the company to ask if they had this in a size large and they did not. Too bad. Sent this cute top back.

 

Olive and Oak Tria Tie-Dye V-Back Tank

This was my second favorite top. You can see the cute detail on the back of the shirt in the second photo. It fit really well and had enough material in the stomach area to last me at least a few more months of pregnancy. I ended up deciding I just wasn't in love with the tie-dye print. I may regret not keeping this one, but I sent it back.

 

Oxmo Carmina Heathered Knit Dolman Sleeve Top

This top was just horrible. First of all, it's beige. I thought I specified in my profile that I do not want beige because it looks horrible with my pale skin. Secondly, it is long sleeve, and we're about to enter the summer! Lastly, it fits like a sack of potatoes on me. Hate everything about it.

Papermoon Tina Striped Open Cardigan

Finally we have another cardigan. The fit of this one was a little better than the blue chevron cardigan. Although the sleeves hit me at an odd length. Not quite long sleeve but not short enough to be 3/4 sleeve. I couldn't see myself getting a lot of use out of this, so back it went.

Isn't that sad? I didn't keep anything this month. What is even more sad is that I have to take a break from Stitch Fix for the next year or so! My plan is to stop all fixes for the remainder of my pregnancy, and then hopefully start receiving them again a few months after the baby is born, or whenever my body starts to look normal again. (If it ever does. Ha!). So long for now Stitch Fix.

Want to try Stitch Fix out for yourself? Use this link to sign up and I will receive a little bit of clothing credit! https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3168832

13 Week NT Scan

Today I had my NT scan, which stands for Nuchal Translucency. This is an optional ultrasound done between 11 and 14 weeks to check for any chromosomal abnormalities in the developing baby. I had some problems in the beginning of my pregnancy with Ryan, so at the time we opted for this extra ultrasound just to ease our minds about his development. We ended up finding out his gender at that early stage of my pregnancy! So of course we chose to do this ultrasound again when pregnant with Lucas. And once again we were told it was a boy!

This 3rd time around I was SO excited. I was really hoping to find out the gender, and of course to be told my baby was healthy. Here I was this morning at exactly 13 weeks, eager to get some good news.

 

The great news is that the baby looks perfect! Everything is developing as it should be. The not so great news is that the baby barely moved during the ultrasound, so the doctor couldn't even get a peek to determine the gender. I was disappointed, but I know finding out the gender was not the point of this ultrasound. So the suspense will continue for another 7 weeks!

First Trimester Details

Here is a week-by-week journal I have been writing during my first trimester.

4 weeks: When I glanced over at the pregnancy test and saw two lines, I did a double take and gasped out loud. I was absolutely shocked and immediately started talking out loud to God. "Are you sure? We didn't plan on this. Is this a joke God? Are you sure I can handle this right now?"

5 weeks: At 5 weeks I am feeling only one symptom. A backache. Nothing else is feeling off yet. No nausea or fatigue, just an aching back for most of the day.

5.5 weeks: No nausea yet, but a lot of foods are starting to sound really unappetizing to me. Just thinking about coconut (one of my favorite flavors) makes me want to gag. I generally want salty savory foods. I just ate an entire can of chili for lunch with lots of melted cheese on it. It was SO good. Usually I would have had a salad or something else healthy. Ha!

6.5 weeks: The nausea has kicked in! I am now waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom at least once or twice. Every time I wake up I am hit with a wave of nausea. Yuck. Today I sneezed and then gagged and almost threw up. I was visiting with a friend this morning and forgot to pack a snack for myself. I started to feel faint and had to leave early so I could go home and eat to feel better.

7.5 weeks: I had my first prenatal appointment today. I got a bit scared at first when she couldn't locate the baby, but it is definitely in there! My official due date is November 27th, Thanksgiving Day!

8.5 weeks: This was a tiring week. It may have something to do with being up all hours of the night with Lucas, being up to use the bathroom, and just dealing with pregnancy insomnia. Add it all up and I am tired! Coconut still makes me want to throw up.

10 weeks: I am shocked that I haven't had one single headache so far this pregnancy. By this point in my last pregnancy, I had suffered through a million headaches. I'm so glad things are different this time! What is also surprising is my energy level. I feel like I have about 95% of my regular energy during the day. Good thing, because these two boys don't let me rest. By about 8pm I am pretty tired, but that's normal. The nausea is still going strong, although the middle of the night sick feeling has gone away.

11 weeks: I spoke too soon last week. This week I've had 3 headaches and I have been sooo tired. Not necessarily a sleepy tired, but by early afternoon my body suddenly doesn't want to move. My energy usually returns by late afternoon in time to make dinner, clean up, give the boys their bath, and put them to bed. Then I am DONE. Another fun development this week is the widening of my hips. I have definitely gained a few pounds, however I don't really notice it in my belly yet. It's more in my hips and thighs. I am really hoping this means I am carrying a girl!

11.5 weeks: I pulled out my maternity clothes over the weekend and I am wearing a pair of maternity capris today. I still fit into my regular pants, but these are so much more comfortable! And I'm all about comfort these days. I'm getting really excited and nervous to announce our news to all our friends this week!

12 weeks: I had my second visit with my midwife today. Once again she couldn't find the heartbeat long enough to count it because the baby would not stop moving. She commented on how active it was, and I said "Aren't all babies this active in the womb? They always tell me this same thing about my babies". She said no, they are a lot of babies that just lay there very calmly during ultrasounds. Huh. And here I was thinking I might actually have a calm baby this time! Wishful thinking.

12.5 weeks: Here I am just over 12 weeks. We announced our news to all our friends, so that was exciting! However, I feel like I've fallen into this weird cycle where I'm not going out and doing as much because I feel nauseous and tired so much. But staying at home so much and not getting out really brings me down and makes me feel worse. So I'm hoping that as I enter my 2nd trimester I can start to feel a bit more normal. It is difficult to explain but I just haven't been feeling like myself lately.

Nully Baby Number 3

Recipe: Veggie Chicken Pasta

I am almost embarrassed to share this recipe with you all, because I wouldn't call it anything special. It's a combination of some very basic ingredients such as pasta, chicken, and vegetables, that when cooked correctly and seasoned well, taste fabulous. Or at least that's my family's opinion.

I first tasted this dish at Adam's mom's house back in high school. I remember thinking it tasted great, and once Adam and I got married, I started trying to cook it for him.  We began calling it "Veggie Chicken Pasta" and I would say I make it at least once a month now. That says a lot coming from me, because I love trying new recipes and hate making the same things over and over. I have improved my technique over time, and although it seems to turn out a little differently every time I make it, Veggie Chicken Pasta is always delicious. Below is the basic recipe I always default to.

Veggie Chicken Pasta

1/2 lb Spaghetti Noodles (I usually use whole wheat)
1 lb Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size chunks
2 large heads of Broccoli, chopped
2 large Carrots, chopped
4 cloves crushed Garlic
1 large Tomato, diced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
1 Can Chicken Broth
Parmesan Cheese

1) Boil a large pot of salted water. Once the water comes to a boil cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, place your broccoli and carrots on top of boiling water in a steamer basket. Cook until just softened. (Or just steam however you would normally steam veggies). Set cooked pasta and veggies aside.
2) While the pasta boils, generously sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. In a large saute pan heat heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken chunks in single layer. Let cook for at least 3-5 minutes so that the bottom turns a golden brown. Flip and cook a few more minutes until no longer pink. Remove from pan with juices.
3) Add minced garlic to warm pan with another drizzle of olive oil. Add partly steamed broccoli and carrots. Cook for a minute but do not let the garlic burn! Once the pan seems a little dry, add about 1 cup chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, and more garlic salt. (Or garlic powder if you are concerned about the salt).
4) Add chicken back to pan and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the veggies are at your preferred softness. It should only take a couple minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes and the cooked pasta. Turn off the heat and toss all ingredients to combine.

We serve our Veggie Chicken Pasta in a bowl with another sprinkle of garlic salt on top, as well as a generous helping of parmesan cheese. Adam absolutely loves this meal, and Ryan will even eat the chicken and some of the plain pasta. I call that a winning recipe in my house!

Let me know if you try the Nullmeyer Veggie Chicken Pasta. Typing out this recipe and looking at the pictures makes me want to cook this tonight!

Peepee Problems Again

Lucas is having the exact same peepee problems that Ryan had at this age. See post here.

Basically, Lucas can't keep his hands out of his diaper. His hands constantly stink like pee and he wets his pants, the bed, the couch, his Grandma........

After changing the sheets on his mattress for the 2nd time on Saturday, I was fed up. I suddenly remembered that I used to put Ryan in onesies at this age so that he couldn't access his diaper. Unfortunately Lucas is a little bit too big for Ryan's old 24-month onesies. So I did a quick Amazon search and found exactly what I was looking for. 3T onesies!

I hope they do the trick because I am really tired of telling Lucas to get his hands out of his pants. Boys!

First Patio Furniture

After almost 8 years of marriage, Adam and I bought our very first set of patio furniture yesterday! I know, I know, this is exciting stuff. For years now we have been using a variety of hand-me-downs that don't match and are starting to show a lot of wear and tear. In the 4 years we have lived in our house, we have never had any form of shade in our backyard. So yesterday we made a random stop at Ikea and walked out with a new patio table, 4 chairs, and an umbrella that goes through the table.

 Adam and Ryan assembled everything while I read the directions and Lucas supervised.

The table is a pretty decent size. I think 6-8 people could comfortably sit around it. I am excited to sit out here on warm nights and eat dinner with the boys in the backyard.

Ryan's 4-Year Well Check

Ryan had his 4-yr Dr. appointment today. He was very cooperative throughout the appointment and I was really proud of him for actually talking to the doctor! He had his vision and hearing checked and both are perfect. Here are his growth stats:

Weight: 31 lbs, 5 oz (11%)
Height: 38.25 inches (11%)
BMI: 29th percentile

So obviously I have a pretty small guy. To give you a little perspective, Ryan weighed 30 lbs and 3 oz at his 3-year checkup. So he gained a whopping 1 lb over the last year! When he had been to the doctor last month for his head check, he actually weighed 33 lbs. But being sick last weekend meant he didn't eat for 4 days, so I'm guessing that might explain his weight loss. Being a Mom, I really want to see my child gaining more weight and getting taller, especially for a boy. I sometimes worry a little bit about him growing up and being teased for being small. But God made him this way for a reason.....and who knows, maybe he'll shoot up this year and end up taller than me someday. I sure hope so!

Regarding his weight and eating habits, I expressed my concerns to the doctor about how picky Ryan still is. I feel like his small picky appetite is affecting his weight gain. The doctor said it isn't quite time to start worrying about his weight. He did tell me to just continue offering him healthy foods and to not offer snacks or "extra" food if he hasn't eaten his meals.

I also mentioned that Ryan tells me he doesn't feel well every single morning when he wakes up. He wants to be held and to lie down with me because he feels sick. The Dr. suggested it could be him just not feeling well from a poor diet and not enough sleep. I asked him how much sleep a 4-yr old should be getting and he said 8-9 hours. I was surprised because Ryan gets about 9 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, and I always thought this was kind of low.

So overall a good appointment but I need to continue working on making sure Ryan gets enough good food in his body. Easier said than done!

Happy Weekend

It's been a while since all 4 of us have been together at home on the weekend. Adam and I were in Las Vegas, then he worked the next weekend, then he was gone all the next weekend for work.....it feels like we haven't had much time at home to just relax and get a few things done. That's why Saturday was perfect. Adam didn't have to work and we had no plans!

I started things off on Friday by getting Lucas a haircut. After many screams and tears and escapes from the haircut car chair, the end result was cute!

Saturday morning we hit up Home Depot for some flowers. I took my Mom out to lunch for Mother's Day and then returned home to help Adam (and the boys) plant the flowers.

 I rewarded the boys with cheerios for all their hard work.

We barbequed dinner (actually Adam used his homemade smoker). On the menu was burgers, beans, watermelon, and our first fresh corn of the season. Lucas ate a crouton for dinner and Ryan ate peanut butter on bread.

 After dinner we worked together to clean up a million legos.

Adam and I had plans to sit down and try to watch a movie together. This is something we haven't done since having kids! But by the time we got Lucas to sleep it was 9pm and we were pretty tired. And there was nothing good on TV. So instead we shared this treat Adam cooked on his smoker. It's a cored apple with cinnamon sticks, butter, and brown sugar in the middle. It cooked for an hour and got pretty soft. It tasted like apple pie!

Today was spent going to church, doing more yard work, and celebrating Cinco de Mayo one day early by eating homemade enchiladas for dinner. The boys finished off their weekend by watching a movie that their Grandma brought over. I wish every weekend was as nice as this one!